Saturday, June 19, 2021

Luciano Sandrone Nebbiolo d'Alba Valmaggiore, 1998

This is my Father's Day wine, opened a day early because it matches up well with tonight's meal (lamb meatball pasta) as well as tomorrow's dinner (rack of lamb). If we enjoy this too much tonight, I'll choose another bottle to add tomorrow. From my first impression, I think this Valmaggiore from Luciano Sandrone will be quite popular.

Brick red, good saturation. Amazing Nebbiolo smells from the moment the cork is popped. Roses, red raspberry/cherry fruit and black licorice undertones. Deep and inviting. Ripe and lovely all the way down the palate. Cascading flavors of ripe crushed berries, exotic spices and licorice. Expressive and lingering finish; has the freshness of a young wine and the complexity of one that is fully mature.

This is not a Barolo, but it is better than many, if not most, I have tasted. Luciano Sandrone is a great winemaker, and he specifically seeks out the Valmaggiore vineyard in Roero for its special attributes.
 

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